Container



R. J. WHITE May 13, 1941.

CONTAINER Filed sept. 28, 1959 lllllllllll l Patented May 13, '1941 UNITED STATES PATENT VOFFICE CONTAINER Richard J. White, New York, N. Y., assigor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of N ew Jersey Application September 28, 1939, Serial No. 296,981A (o1. p21-Q62) 2 claims.

The present invention relates to dredging cans for powders, condiments and the like and has particular reference to a fully sealed rectangular can which is opened by breaking out scored parts cut in a central panel of the can end or top, this panel having a depressed rectangular section, two opposed straight sides of which are folded over to provide spaced oppositely disposed straight channels and overhanging ledges forming slide seats for a flat slide member which has a curled and slotted edge by means of which the can may be fully opened for dispensing of its contents as in removal by a spoon, or the dispensing may be done by sifting the contents through the slotted curled edge of the slide member which at such a time acts as dredge openings, they being in alignment with the opening formed in the can at the time the scored parts of the can top are broken through in initially opening the can and still another position of the slide member provides a reclosure for the can.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a rectangular can of the dredging can type which is initially sealed on its contents and which may be opened to make eiective a nat slide member which has sliding movement within the depressed rectangular panel section of a iiat can top, opposite walls of this depressed panel having channels formed beneath retaining ledges which hold the slide member within the depression but allow for free movement of the slide, different positions of which determine the type of dispensing of the can contents, one position eiecting a reclosure ofthe can. f i

Another object is the provision of a rectangular dredging can of the character described wherein the slide member has its edges curled to provide easy actuation, a curled edge alsofunctioning as a sifter and disintegrator member when the contents of the can are dispensed by sifting.

Still another object is the provision of positioning elements for such adredging can whereby each position of the slide may be accurately determined. A

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing: Y

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a canembodying the present invention, the View showing the top slide member in fully closed position;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are top plan views of the can showing the three diierent positions of the slide member, Fig. 2 being the open position which allows for initially breaking out of the scored area of the top, Fig. 3 being the reclosed position and Fig.- 4 showing the sifter position; andV Figs. 5 and 6 are longitudinaland transverse sections drawn to a larger scale being taken respectively along the section lines 5--5 and 6-6 in Figs-3 and 4.

The present invention is* concerned with the dredging can havinga simple one-piece perforated top slide arranged for movement across a flat wall of a sunken panel provided in the can top, such a'slide having a manipulating slotted and curled edge which functions in one position of the slide asa sifting or dredging feature and which at the time time provides a nger piece for manipulating the slide into various positions. The slide becomes eective to condition the'can for dispensing of or for enclosing its contents after the can has been initially opened, by breaking out a scored part of` the top end in the panel wall. .Opposed side walls of the sunken panel are parallel and are formed with straight channels. and overhanging ledges which retain the slide in close contact with the can top in all positions of the slide. i

Such a can is disclosedin the drawing as being rectangular and is preferably formed of metal. The can body is designated by the numeral Il, Fig. `1. Such a can is provided with an imperiorate bottom end member I2 and an imperforate top end member I3. The two end members may be secured to the bodyin conventional double or other type of seams I4. i

The top end I3 is primarily of the usual dished form required for, double seaming but its central depressed wall, designated by the numeral I5, is

iurther depressed in a central sunken panel I G.

This depressed panel I6 is rectangular in shape and two opposed side walls are bent over or collapsed, as illustrated in Fig. A5, to form opposed channels 'I'I located under overhanging ledges -orpshoulders I8. Such channels and ledges proy vide guideways for theslideand in the manu- -facture of the can are preferably formed after the slide has been placed in position orassembled with the can top. I

`A at slide member 2| is used for this purpose and after the parts have been assembled and the channels and ledges have been formed, this slide may be moved back and forth from one side of the vsunken `panel I6' tothe other. During this movement the opposite ends of the slide ride along and are retained Within the channels I T, the overhanging ledges I8 holding therslide down against the Wall of the panel at all times.

Such a slide is preferably formed with two curled edges, a short curl 22 and a longer curl 23 disposed on opposite sides longitudinally of the slide. The long curl 23 extends substantially from one to the other of the ledges I8 of the can top. VThis c url is slotted as at '24. lWhen slide 2| is moved, either of thevedge curls 22 or 23 may be engaged by the iingers, the natural Way of manipulating the slide being to dravvA it forward into the desired position.

The sunken wall part I6 of the panel is preferably cut or scored either. partially; orA entirely by an arcuate score line 25 the-ends offwhich are joined by a broken score line 26. The line -26 extend-s longitudinally ofthe'can top and as best shown in Fig. 3 is substantially in the Vcenter of the can end.

When the Canis receivedby the ultimate con- ."-sumerit-is fully sealed and the topA I3, contain- V-irigthe score lines 25, 26, .forms an imperforate Vwall memberv for the can.Y Theslide in such position.isagainstonelong side of the sunken panel It, this Vbeing the position illustrated innFig. 1. To initiallyopen the can so that its slide 2| may .Ice effective, the edge curl 23 is preferably engaged by the fingers and is'drawn toward the opposite wall of the'sunken panel or into the position shownvin Fig.` 2. The long side'of theslide ad- .jacent the-,curl V23 strikes against the vertical Wall offthe sunken panel and this denitely locates the slide for its opening position. Y The score line 25 is thus exposed and the initial opening of the can may be had by merely breaking. through the top wall along the score line 25. Indoingthis the removable part of thetop, designated by the numeral 2'I` which is the area con f ned within the score lines 25, 26is preferably pushed down into the can,the part 21 bending along-.the broken score line 26. `Such-a position is ,illustrated in Fig. 6. This Yleaves. a dispensing .opening 28 in the wall of the panel I5. The opening as herein shownis. made circular along one side so that a spoon may be .inserted into the containerV and the spoon load thenscraped level along the straight edge-of .the opening. In

this way Va relatively large. quantity .of the con-l the curled edge 23 aredirectlyoverand just inside of the straight edgeoithe dispensing opening- '28. -When the can is .inverted as in! sifting f position,; therefore, Vthe .contents .are caused-to ,v pass through `the slots' 24.

In -such passage `thecurled. shape of the edge .Y vpart23 actsgas a disintegratorand thisbreaks up '..andmore thoroughly sift's the .contents asit is being dispensed. Irithis, position of the slide the long side adjacent .the curl 22 is against the long vertical :wall ofthe sunkenV panell I6; This vertical wall thus provides a deiinitestop,l thus limiting movement of the slide to anexact predeter- L mined position.' v Y Y When the can is tobe' reclosed, it4 `-is `merely f necessaryto drawbackjon. the slide 2 I; to: bring it intotheintermediate position; shown .in "Fig, 3. I The 'slide 'now completely yi'sovers;the' discharge Cil opening 28 and the overhanging ledges I8 of the can top, which are at all times pressing against the ends of the slide, movably hold the slide into ilush contact with the can top. This prevents undesirable sifting or leaking of the can contents when the closed can is being handled.

Provision is made for denitely locating such a closing position of the slide. For this purpose the panel wall of the top is pressed downwardly -in a pair ofspaced protuberances 3l (Figs. 2 and 5)- In like vmanner the slide 2I is also provided 'With a pair of spaced protuberances 32. In the other positions of the slide the protuberances 32 of. which are formed with straight channel secmerely spring over the panel wall and have no eifect as stops. In the closing position, however, the protuberances 32 engage the protuberances 3 I,-as best shown in Fig. 5, and this securely locks the parts together.

Itis thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages Will be understood from ,theforegoing description, and it will be apparent .that variouschanges may be made in the form, .construction and arrangement of the parts without departing lfrom the spirit and scope of the yinvention or sacricing all of its material advan- .tions and overhanging ledges, score lines cut in the panel wall of said depression and setting oi a removable part which when removed from the plane of the end by separation along said score .lines opens the can While forming a dispensing opening, and a iiat slide member located in said depression and having close engagement with its Y .panelwall while extending into said channels at two opposite ends and being held in sliding position by said overhanging ledges, said slide having a slottededge curlextending between said ledges Y whereby thefslidemay be moved over said dispensing opening, said` curl when aligned over the dispensing opening providing for sifting of the can contents, other positions of said slide member further-opening or reclosing the can.

' 2. A dredge top can comprising a top and having a rectangular depression, two opposite walls of which :are formed with straight channel sections and overhanging ledges, curved and straight Y score'lines cut in thepanel Wall of said depres- Asion and setting offa removable part of segmental shape `which whenremoved from the plane vof the end `by. separation along the curved section of saidscore lines opens the can by bending :the removable part along the straight section of the score while forming a dispensing openingrinto c Whicha spoon'maybeinserted, for removing the can/contents, Ya flat rectangular slide member located in said depression and having close engagement with its. panel -wall while extending .into said channels at two opposite ends and being heldl in sliding position by said overhanging ledges, said slide having edge curls on its two sides whereby the slide may be moved over said mdispensing-opening,` one of said edge curls being slotted-and--When aligned over the dispensing opening providing for sifting of the can contents, other positions of said slide member further opening or reclosing the can, and stop elements formed in said slide and in said panel Wall for determiningthe Vcan reclosing position.

RICHARD J. WHITE. 

